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MARCUS  WHITMAN,  M.  D. 


THE 


PATHFINDER  of  the  PACIFIC  NORTHWEST 


AND 


flftavtgreb  /HMssionan?  of  ©reoon. 


A  Sketch  of  His  Life,  Character,  Work,  Massacre, 

and  Monument. 


By  Rev.  JONATHAN  EDWARDS. 


“  Jl?e  vuorK  l?e  did  we  ouqfyt  to  admire 
f\r)d  wer%  upjujt  if  u/^  should  mor^  require” 


* 


MARCUS  WHITMAN,  M.  D. 


THE 


PATHFINDER  OF  THE  PACIFIC  NORTHWEST 


AND 


/IDavtpreO  /HMssionan?  of  Oregon. 


A  Sketch  of  His  Life,  Character,  Work,  Massacre, 

and  Monument. 


IRew  Jonathan  EOwarfcs. 


“The  u/orl^  he  did  we  ou^ht  to  admire, 
f[r)d  u/er<?  ur>ju$t  if  u/<?  should  mor<?  require” 


Spokane: 

UNION  PRINTING  COMPANY. 
I  892  . 


I 


PREFACE. 


HIS  unpretentious  pamphlet  on  a  great  subject,  is  a  lecture  I  have 
delivered  many  times  in  the  State  of  Washington  when  presenting1 
the  claims  of  Whitman  College.  This  will  account  for  the  colloquial 
style  and  lack  of  rhetorical  finish.  The  effort  has  been  to  present 
the  salient  points  as  brief  and  comprehensive  as  possible.  In  the  pre¬ 
paration  of  it  I  have  become  intensely  interested  in  the  romantic 
history  of  the  Pacific  Northwest,  and  have  been  especially  impressed 
with  the  important  part  which  the  early  missionaries  played  in  the 
wonderful  drama. 

I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  subject  deserves  careful  and 
elaborate  treatment  by  a  competent  mind,  and  it  will  doubtless  have  it. 
God  willing1,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Myron  Eells. 

The  Rev.  ,T.  E.  Roy,  D.  D.  of  Chicago,  and  others,  have  suggested 
that  such  a  pamphlet  as  this,  widely  distributed,  would  aid  in  promot¬ 
ing  the  interests  of  Whitman  College  and  if  that  end  is  accomplished 
the  author  will  be  abundantly  rewarded.  Among  many  works  con¬ 
sulted,  special  acknowledgment  of  indebtedness  is  due  the  following: 
Bancroft’s  “History  of  Northwest  Coast,”  “Oregon”  and  “Washington,” 
Gray’s  “History  of  Oregon,”  Barrow’s  “Oregon,  The  Struggle  for  Pos¬ 
session,”  Gilbert’s  “History  of  Walla  Walla  County,”  and  “Life  of 
Marcus  Whitman,”  in  “The  Pacific,”  by  Rev.  Myron  Eells,  D.  D. 

J.  E. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/marcuswhitmanmdpOOedwa 


MARCUS  WHITMAN,  M.  D. 


f&lxe  of  the  pacific 

AND 

flDartpret'  /HMsstonan?  of  ©regon. 

CHAPTER  I. 

PIONEER  MISSIONARIES. 

The  history  of  the  pioneer  missionaries  of  the  Pacific- 
Northwest  is  a  romance.  By  their  exertions  and  sacrifices  they 
have  accomplished  a  work  that  entitles  them  the  honor  and 
admiration  of  successive  generations.  They  were  the  founders 
of  a  new  empire  and  the  ushers  of  civilization  to  the  land  of 
the  setting  sun.  Bancroft  says  in  his  history  of  Oregon:  “It  is 
in  the  missionary,  rather  than  in  the  commercial  or  agricultural 
elements,  that  I  find  that  romance  which  underlies  all  human 
endeavor  before  it  becomes  of  sufficient  interest  for  permanent 
preservation  in  the  memory  of  mankind.  I  believe  the  time 
will  come,  if  it  be  not  already,  when  to  the  descendants  of  these 
hardy  empire-builders  this  enrollment  will  be  recognized  as 
equivalent  to  a  patent  of  nobility.”  Few  men  have  in  equal 
measure  exhibited  the  heroic  and  self-denying  spirit  of  the 
Apostles  as  these  pioneer  missionaries  did.  Seldom  have  been 
given  to  men  such  an  opportunity  to  exert  a  far-reaching  and 
enduring  influence  upon  future  generations.  It  was  their  priv¬ 
ilege  to  lay  deep,  strong  and  broad  foundations,  upon  which 
their  successors  have,  and  will,  erect  grand  and  permanent 
superstructures.  Though  dead  they  yet  speak,  and  we  enter 
into’  their  labors.  A  sense  of  our  obligation  to  them  should 
incite  us  to  honor  their  memories  and  perpetuate  their  names. 


2 


CHAPTER  II. 

SEEKING  FOR  THE  LIGHT. 

THE  LONG  JOURNEY  OF  THE  FLAT-HEAD  INDIANS  FROM  NORTHERN 

IDAHO  TO  SAINT  LOUIS. 

The  superficial  knowledge  of  God  which  the  Indians  of  the 
Pacific-Northwest  obtained  through  the  members  of  the  Lewis 
and  Clark  expedition,  some  of  the  employees  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
company, — who  built  a  trading  post  west  of  the  Rocky  Moun¬ 
tains  in  1811, — and  0erh  aps,  what  was  communicated  from  tribe 
to  tribe  from  the  Roman  Catholic  Jesuits  in  Lower  California, 
created  within  them  a  desire  for  more.  It  finally  developed  into 
an  intense  passion  for  more  light  regarding  the  white  man’s  God 
and  Bible.  It  became  the  all-absorbing  subject  for  meditation 
and  conversation.  It  was  frequently  discussed  around  the  camp 
fire  and  in  the  wigwam.  Yea,  doubtless  many  prayers  ascended 
to  God  for  this  true  light  from  Heaven. 

At  last  it  was  decided  to  make  a  desperate  effort  to  obtain 
the  much  desired  light.  In  1832,  five  of  the  Flat-head  or  Nez 
Pei  *ces  Indians  made  a  journey  from  Northern  Idaho  to  St. 
Louis,  seeking  the  knowledge  for  which  they  so  earnestly 
yearned.  They  were  feeling  after  the  true  God  if  haply  they 
might  find  Him.  Two  thousand  miles  they  traveled,  climbing 
precipitous  rocks  and  over  high  and  rugged  mountains.  They 
pressed  their  way  through  almost  impenetrable  forests,  crossing 
wide  prairies  and  dismal  valleys,  and  fording  rushing  streams 
and  deep  rivers,  all  in  order  to  find  out  more  regarding  the  book 
that  told  all  about  the  Great  Spirit,  the  hunting  ground  of  the 
blessed  and  the  trail  thereto.  Who  can  conceive  the  hardships 
they  endured  ere  they  reached  their  journey’s  end?  It  is  not 


known  how  Ion"  it  took  them  to  make  the  journey.  But  they 
reached  St.  Louis,  and  for  a  time  they  moved  around  silently  in 
mocassin  and  blanket,  attracting  but  little  attention  among  the 
few  thousand  inhabitants.  Among  them  were  two  old  chiefs 
noted  for  wisdom  and  prudence.  The  other  three  were  young 
braves  selected  because  of  their  endurance  and  daring  in  any 
perils.  It  was  not  easy  for  them  to  make  known  their  errand. 
They  found  many  things  to  interest  them,  but  not  that  one  thing 
which  they  felt  they  needed  more  than  all  else.  They  were 
kindly  treated,  entertained,  blanketed  and  ornamented.  They 
were  lead  to  the  cathedral  and  shown  the  altar  and  the  pictures 
of  saints. 

But  withal  there  was  a  vacuum  within.  They  were  not  sat¬ 
isfied.  Why?  Because  they  had  faced  the  perils  and  endured 
the  hardships  of  a  long  journey,  in  order  that  they  might  have 
better  ideas  of  the  Great  Spirit  of  the  white  man,  and  the  book 
of  the  white  man  which  shows  the  long  trail  leading  to  the 
Eternal  Camping  Ground.  But  this  they  had  not  found  and 
doubtless  thought  their  journey  was  in  vain.  As  the  three  sur¬ 
viving  braves  were  about  starting  on  their  return  journey,  sad 
at  heart  and  disappointed,  the  farewell  address  of  one  of  them 
delivered  in  the  office  of  General  Clark,  is  full  of  genuine  pathos 
and  deserves  a  place  among  the  world’s  literary  classics. 


THE  INDIAN’S  FAREWELL  SPEECH. 

“  I  came  to  you  over  a  trail  of  many  moons  from  the  setting  sun.  You 
were  the  friend  of  my  fathers  who  have  all  gone  the  long  way.  I  came  with 
one  eye  partly  opened,  for  more  light  for  my  people,  who  sit  in  darkness. 
I  go  back  with  both  eyes  closed.  How  can  I  go  back  with  both  eyes  closed  ? 
How  can  I  go  back  blind  to  my  blind  people?  I  made  my  way  to  you  with 
strong  arms,  through  many  enemies  and  strange  lands  that  I  might  carry 
back  much  to  them.  I  go  back  with  both  arms  broken  and  empty.  The 
two  fathers  who  came  with  us — the  braves  of  many  winters  and  wars — we 


4 


leave  asleep  by  your  great  water  and  wigwam.  They  were  tired  in  many 
moons  and  their  mocassins  wore  out.  My  people  sent  me  to  get  the  white 
man’s  book  of  Heaven.  You  took  me  where  you  allow  your  women  to 
dance,  as  we  do  not  ours,  and  the  book  was  not  there;  you  showed  me  the 
images  of  good  spirits  and  pictures  of  the  good  land  beyond,  but  the  book 
was  not  among  them  to  tell  us  the  way.  I  am  going  back  the  long  sad  trail 
to  my  people  of  the  dark  land. 

You  make  my  feet  heavy  with  burdens  of  gifts,  and  my  moccasins  will 
grow  old  in  carrying  them,  but  the  book  was  not  among  them.  When  I  tell 
my  poor  blind  people,  after  one  more  snow  in  the  big  council,  that  I  did  not 
bring  the  book,  no  word  will  be  spoken  by  our  old  men  or  by  our  young 
braves.  One  by  one  they  will  rise  up  and  go  out  in  silence.  My  people 
will  die  in  darkness,  and  they  will  go  on  the  long  path  to  the  other  hunting 
grounds.  No  white  man  will  go  with  them  and  no  white  man’s  book  to 
make  the  way  plain.  I  have  no  more  words.” 


HEE-OH-KS-TE-KIN. — The  Rabbit’s  Skin  Leggins. 

(DRAWN  BY  GEORGE  CATLIN.) 

The  only  one  of  the  five  Nez  Perce  Chiefs  (some  say  there  were  only  four) 
who  visited  Saint  Louis  in  1832,  that  lived  to  return 
to  his  people  to  tell  the  story. 


HCO-A-HCO-A-HCOTES-MIN. — No  Horns  on  his  Head. 

This  one  died  on  his  return  journey  near  the  mouth  of  Yellowstone  River. 


This  is  what  Oatlin  says  himself.  “These  two  men  when  I  painted  them,  were 
in  beautiful  Sioux  dresses,  which  had  been  presented  to  them  in  a  talk  with  the 
Sioux,  who  treated  them  very  kindly,  while  passing-  through  the  Sioux  country. 
These  two  men  were  part  of  a  delegation  that  came  across  the  Rocky  mountains 
to  St.  Louis,  a  few  years  since,  to  inquire  for  the  truth  of  a  representation  which 
they  said  some  white  man  had  made  among  them,  “that  our  religion  was  better 
than  theirs,  and  that  they  would  be  all  lost  if  they  did  not  embrace  it.”  Two  old 
and  venerable  men  of  this  party  died  in  St.  Louis,  and  I  traveled  two  thousand 
miles,  companions  with  these  two  fellows,  toward  their  own  country,  and  became 
much  pleased  with  their  manners  and  dispositions.  When  I  first  heard  the  report 
of  the  object  of  this  extraordinary  mission  across  the  mountains,  I  could  scarcely 
believe  it;  but.  on  conversing  with  General  Clark,  on  a  future  occasion.  I  was 
fully  convinced  of  the  fact.” 

See  Catlin’s  Eight  Years,  and  Smithsonian  Report  for  1885,  2nd  part. 


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5 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  JOURNEY  NOT  IN  VAIN. 

THE  REFRAIN — “  THE  BOOK  WAS  NOT  THERE5’  RESPONDED  TO. 

It  seems  providential  that  the  true  object  of  the  long  journey 
of  the  brave  Indians  was  communicated  to  the  world.  In  the 
office  of  General  Clark  there  was  a  religiously  disposed  young- 
man.  He  heard  the  farewell  address  of  the  Indian  and  was 
deeply  impressed  by  it.  In  his  correspondence  to  eastern 
friends  he  made  it  known.  When  first  made  public  it  was 
denied,  which  lead  some  one  to  inquire  of  General  Clark  as  to 
the  object  of  the  Indians  in  making  the  long  journey  to  St.  Louis, 
and  he  declared  that  it  was  to  obtain  more  knowledge  pertaining 
the  white  man’s  God  and  Bible.  Truly  the  Indians  returned  to 
their  country  disappointed.  Their  journey  was  apparently  a 
failure,  but  not  really  so.  The  mournful  refrain  “The  Book 
was  not  there,”  had  a  sympathetic  hearer  not  on  earth  alone  but 
also  in  Heaven.  No  one  can  seek  after  God  in  vain.  God 
responds  to  the  prayers  of  the  human  soul.  He  will  meet  man’s 
highest  aspirations.  The  deepest  desires  will  be  satisfied.  The 
speech  made  by  the  Indians  in  General  Clark’s  office  was  made 
a  divine  pivot  on  which  turned  the  destiny  of  thousands  of  In¬ 
dians,  and  resulted  in  one  of  the  most  romantic  chapters  in 
American  history.  The  failure  of  the  Nez  Perces  or  Flat-head 
Indians  to  find  the  Book  reached  the  ears  of  the  officers  of  two 
foreign  Missionary  Boards  and  touched  their  hearts.  They  said, 
“The  Book  they  will  get  if  possible.”  They  were  the  officers 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Board  of  Missions,  and  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions.  The  former 
mission  board  sent  out  the  first  missionaries,  Revs.  Jason  Lee 


and  Daniel  Lee,  who  did  excellent  work,  for  which  they  deserve 
to  be  everlastingly  remembered.  Among  the  first  to  respond  to 
the  call  of  the  latter  mission  board  was  Marcus  Whitman,  M.  D. 
a  brief  sketch  of  whose  life,  character,  death  and  consequences 
we  here  present. 


7 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MARCUS  WHITMAN’S  EARLY  LIFE. 

EARLY  TRAINING.  RELIGIOUS  IMPRESSIONS.  CONVERSION. 

EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES. 

He  was  born  at  Rusliville,  Yates  Co.,  N.  Y.,  September  4th, 
1802,  and  descended  from  a  New  England  stock  characterized 
by  a  proportionate  blending  of  the  intellectual  and  moral,  and 
remarkable  for  longevity.  As  with  many  others  who  have  been 
prominent  in  history,  and  who  have  blessed  mankind  by  their 
noble  deeds  and  self-denying  lives,  he  seemed  to  have  been 
providentially  saved  from  the  mouth  of  death  while  an  infant  in 
the  cradle.  The  mother  during  a  lonely  hour,  went  to  spend  a 
little  time  with  her  husband  who  worked  in  his  shop  across  the 
road.  On  returning  to  the  humble  log  cabin,  she  was  startled 
to  find  that  a  stick  had  rolled  from  the  fireplace  and  had  come 
in  contact  with  the  cradle  which  was  on  fire,  and  baby  Marcus 
was  almost  suffocated.  But  he  was  saved,  for  their  was  a  great 
work  for  him  to  do.  There  were  many  things  in  his  early  life 
that  tended  especially  to  prepare  him  for  his  great  life  work. 

He  was  reared  amid  the  environments  of  a  pioneer  home, 
and  was  made  familiar  with  the  privations  incident  to  such  life, 
which, — other  things  being  equal, — tend  generally  to  promote 
true  manliness.  His  father  dying  when  he  was  but  eight  years 
old,  necessitated  on  his  part  the  early  exertion  of  physical  and 
intellectual  powers,  resulting  in  a  well  developed  body,  and  a 
wholesome  degree  of  self-reliance,  independence,  determination 
and  purpose  in  life.  In  childhood  he  was  strongly  impressed 
with  religious  truths  and  loved  to  read  the  Bible. 

He  also  gave  evidence  of  a  passion  for  adventure  and  ex¬ 
ploration,  as  well  as  an  inclination  towards  the  work  of  the 


8 


Gospel  Ministry.  His  religious  training  was  attended  to  with 
scrupulous  care,  both  by  his  parents  at  home,  and  his  grand¬ 
father  Deacon  Samuel  Whitman,  of  Plainville,  Mass.,  with 
whom  he  spent  some  years  after  the  decease  of  his  father.  He 
was  converted  during  a  revival  season  when  seventeen  years  of 
age,  but  for  reasons  unknown  to  us,  he  did  not  make  a  public 
profession  of  his  faith  until  live  years  later.  He  first  united 
with  the  Congregational  Church  in  his  native  place,  but  subse¬ 
quently  became  a  member  and  a  ruling  elder  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Wheeler,  N.  Y.,  from  which  church  he  was  dismissed 
when  he  came  to  Oregon.  After  receiving  a  good  common 
school  education  he  studied  latin  with  Rev.  Moses  Hallock  of 
Plainville,  and  Rev.  David  Page,  of  Rushville.  At  this  time  he 
had  in  view  the  work  of  the  Gospel  Ministry,  but  physical  ail¬ 
ment  led  him  to  study  medicine  and  in  due  time  he  received  his 
diploma.  After  four  years  of  practice  as  a  physician  in  Canada, 
he  returned  home  fully  resolved  to  undertake  the  necessary 
preparation  for  his  chosen  profession.  But  God’s  ways  were  not 
his,  and  again  his  plans  were  frustrated  by  physical  pain  from 
which  he  suffered — more  or  less — all  his  lifetime.  Soon  after 
this  he  became  part  owner  with  his  brother  in  a  saw  mill.  His 
varied  experiences  in  early  life,  eminently  fitted  him  to  be  the 
practiccal  and  progressive  missionary  and  broad-minded  patriot 
by  which  he  immortalized  his  name. 


‘ 4  God  works  in  a  mysterious  way, 
His  wonders  to  perform.  ” 


CHAPTER  Y. 


BECOMING  A  MISSIONARY. 

To  Rev.  Samuel  Parker  is  due  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
one  to  oiler  himself  as  a  missionary  to  Oregon  under  the  Amer¬ 
ican  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions.  He  left 
New  York  in  1834,  but  reached  St.  Louis  too  late  to  go  with 
the  American  Fur  Company.  Not  being  able  to  go  any  farther 
that  season,  he  returned  to  New  York  for  the  purpose  of  creating 
an  interest  in  Indian  Missions,  and  inducing  others  to  join  him, 
and  thus  he  became  instrumental  in  leading  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman 
to  become  a  missionary  to  Oregon.  This  was  in  the  winter  of 
1834-5.  Both  of  them  started  in  the  summer  of  ’35,  but  after 
reaching  the  Green  river  and  seeing  some  of  the  Indians  for 
whom  they  intended  to  devote  their  lives,  Dr.  Whitman  was  so 
impressed  with  the  magnitude  of  the  work  before  them,  that  he 
felt  it  his  duty  to  return  and  make  a  mighty  effort  to  bring 
others  with  him.  Two  Nez  Perces  Indians  accompanied  him, 
and  on  a  Sunday  morning  he  lead  them  in  their  native  garb  into 
the  church  in  his  home  in  New.  York.  These  are  little  things 
and  apparently  accidental,  but  how  infinitely  important  consid¬ 
ered  in  their  far-reaching  influence.  Parker  returning  to  New 
York  from  St.  Louis  and  finding  Marcus  Whitman;  the  latter  re¬ 
turning  from  Green  river  and  finding  one  of  the  grandest  women 
for  a  wife.  For  soon  after  this  we  find  him  united  in  the  bonds 
of  matrimony  with  Miss  Narcissa  Prentis  of  Prattsburgh,  N.  Y., 
daughter  of  Judge  Stephen  Prentis.  She  is  described  as  a  hand¬ 
some  and  accomplished  young  lady,  refined  and  commanding  in 
appearance,  hair  and  complexion  light,  amiable  and  cheerful  in 
disposition,  a  beautiful  singer,  and  in  all  respects  fitted  to  fill  a 


10 


large  place.  In  early  life  like  Mary  she  had  chosen  the  good 
part  which  cannot  be  taken  away,  and  had  been  an  active  and 
devoted  servant  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 

By  such  a  life  she  had  developed  into  a  strong  Christian 
character.  She  was  permeated  and  illuminated  by  the  spirit 
which  makes  true  heroes  and  heroines.  She  could  truly  say : 
“Here,  Lord  take  me;"  and  thus  was  ready  to  go  wherever  He 
would  lead  her.  Such  was  the  woman  that  offered  herself  as  a 
missionary  to  the  Indians  of  the  Pacific  Northwest.  Dr.  Whit¬ 
man  is  described  as  somewhat  above  medium  in  height,  closely 
built,  broad  shoulders,  iron  gray  hair,  deep  blue  eyes,  large 
mouth,  with  perceptive  organs  well  developed.  Not  disposed 
to  be  fastidious,  but  rather  indifferent  to  outward  appearance; 
business-like  in  manner  and  methods.  Ready  to  make  and 
express  his  opinion  ;  always  energetic,  progressive  and  devoted 
to  his  work  irrespective  of  consequences.  Naturally  a  leader  of 
men,  he  possessed  the  combined  qualifications  of  a  general, 
statesman  and  missionary. 


11 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  LONG  JOURNEY. 

MISSIONARY  HEROINES. 

HEROES  INDEED  ARE  THOSE  THAT  DO  WORK  THAT  IS  EARNEST, 

BRAVE  AND  TRUE. 

In  the  spring  of  1836,  we  find  Marcus  Whitman,  M.  D.  and 
wife,  Rev.  H.  H.  Spalding  and  wife,  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Gray  ready 
to  start  on  their  long  journey  to  the  far-away  Oregon.  It  was  a 
scene  that  would  have  delighted  the  hearts  of  angelic  beings. 
Five  brave  hearts  with  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  them, 
undertaking  a  task  that  seemed  to  need  superhuman  courage. 
In  the  name  of  the  Most  High  God,  and  relying  upon  His  grace, 
they  are  determined  to  face  obstacles  and  perils  indescribable, 
and  enter  upon  a  great  and  glorious  mission,  nothing  less  than 
the  civilizing  and  christianizing  of  the  wild  savages  of  the  far 
west.  For  though  three  had  preceded  them  as  missionaries,  yet 
they  were  the  ones  that  introduced  Christian  civilization  among 
the  natives  of  the  Pacific  North-west,  They  were  the  primary 
agencies  in  destroying  the  monstrous  monopoly  of  the  Hudson’s 
Bay  Company,  which  for  a  century  and  a  half  utilized  the  north¬ 
ern  portion  of  this  continent  for  fur  and  peltry.  They  were  the 
John  the  Baptist  preparing  the  way  for  the  coming  multitudes, 
and  the  heralds  of  the  great  coming  immigration  of  family  life. 
The  Missouri  border  population,  always  restless,  had  been  trying 
to  push  toward  the  Pacific  coast.  But  the  officials  of  the  Hud¬ 
son's  Bay  Company  succeeded  in  keeping  them  away  from  their 
vast  dominion.  All  that  tried  to  cross  the  Rocky  mountains  had 
been  discouraged  by  representations  of  hardships  and  dangers  to 
be  encountered,  resulting  in  scattering  them  in  the  mountains  or 
turning  them  in  the  direction  of  California.  We  find  the  mem- 


12 


bers  of  the  little  missionary  band  on  their  way.  They  move 
from  city  to  city  about  as  rapidly  as  possible  in  those  days.  At 
St.  Louis  they  find  the  American  Fur  Company  preparing  for  its 
annual  expedition  to  the  mountains.  They  did  not  become  under 
the  protection  of  said  company  until  they  reached  Council  Bluffs. 
Here  they  joined  the  great  caravan  with  about  two  hundred  per¬ 
sons  in  all  and  six  hundred  animals.  They  bad  been  repeatedly 
warned  on  the  way  of  the  presumption  of  attempting  to  take 
their  wives  across  the  plains  and  over  the  mountains.  The  offi¬ 
cials  of  the  American  Fur  Company  remonstrated  against  assum¬ 
ing  the  responsibility  of  protecting  them,  and  only  jdelded  be¬ 
cause  of  the  service  rendered  them  by  Dr.  Whitman  during  their 
trip  the  previous  season. 

On  they  went,  day  by  day.  The  monotony  of  the  journey 
being  broken  by  interruptions  of  various  kinds  and  scenes  of 
perpetual  variations.  Who  can  conceive  of  the  obstacles  they 
had  to  encounter  as  they  moved  along  the  vast  prairies  where 
the  antelopes  and  buffalos  roved,  through  dense  forests,  across 
swamps  and  wide  and  deep  rivers  overflowing  their  banks.  But 
the  courage  of  the  women  never  failed  them.  Mr.  Spalding  on 
account  of  frequent  misfortunes  and  the  feebleness  of  his  wife, 
was  sometimes  ready  to  give  up  in  despair,  but  Mrs.  Spalding 
would  invariably  express  a  determination  to  press  on  towards 
their  destination  or  die  in  the  attempt.  She  gave  evidence  of 
phenomenal  endurance.  Being  feeble  when  they  started  she 
suffered  much  on  the  way.  At  one  time  she  failed  to  keep  up 
with  the  company,  and  it  was  thought  that  she  could  not  live, 
but  she  rallied  again  and  was  spared  to  do  a  great  work  among 
the  indians,  especially  in  translating  portions  of  the  Scriptures 
and  some  hymns  into  the  Nez  Perce  language.  The  mountain 
men  acted  especially  gallant  toward  these  women. 

The  true  nobility  of  the  women  seemed  to  impress  them. 
They  felt  honored  in  having  them  in  the  country.  After  the 


13 


party  had  reached  the  rendezvous  of  the  American  Fur  Com¬ 
pany  on  Green  River,  one  of  the  mountain  men  is  reported  to 
have  said,  pointing  to  the  women:  “There  is  something  the 
Honorable  Hudson’s  Bay  Company  can  not  expel  from  the 
country.”  How  true  those  words  proved  to  be,  for  the  advent 

of  these  women  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  the  history  of 
the  Pacific  North-west.  In  this  company  we  truly  find  the  ele¬ 
ments  or  germs  of  Christian  civilization.  Something  that  can 
not  be  expelled  or  suppressed.  With  them  we  find  a  quart  of 
wheat,  the  Bible,  and  two  wives.  This  meant  the  tilling  of  the 
soil,  cultivated  farms,  harvest  fields,  flour  mills,  pure  morality, 
light  of  the  Gospel,  family  life,  the  Christian  home  and  nurture. 
On  June  6th  they  reached  Laramie.  A  month  later  they  enter 
the  famous  South  Pass  where  the  waters  of  the  continent  divide. 
Soon  they  were  on  the  height  of  the  Rocky  mountain. 

A  SUBLIME  SCENE. 

There  is  a  scene  connected  with  their  journey  which  de¬ 
mands  extraordinary  attention  in  view  of  its  great  significance. 
It  is  one  that  arouses  all  that  is  good  within  us,  and  has  been 
pronounced  as  hardly  paralleled  in  American  records  for  historic 
grandeur  and  far-reaching  consequences.  It  is  sublimely  beau¬ 
tiful  and  inspiring  in  its  effects,  and  would  baffle  the  genius  of  a 
true  poet  to  describe  it  with  adequate  fitness.  They  were  yet 
high  on  the  Rocky  mountains  with  the  great  expanse  of  the 
Pacific  slope  opening  before  them  like  a  magnificent  panorama. 
Their  hearts  were  profoundly  moved  as  they  witnessed  the  land¬ 
scape  unfolding  its  delightful  scenes,  and  as  they  viewed  the 
vast  empire  given  them  to  win  for  King  Emanuel. 

There  we  find  the  little  group  of  five  missionaries,  and  the 
two  Nez  Percesboys  that  Whitman  took  with  him  to  New  York, 
selecting  a  spot  where  the  bunch  grass  grew  high  and  thick. 
Their  hearts  go  out  to  God  in  joyful  adoration  for  his  protecting 
care  over  them  thus  far,  especially  so,  because  they  felt  the 


14 


greatest  difficulties  had  been  overcome,  and  they  had  now  en¬ 
tered  the  country  for  the  people  of  which  they  had  devoted  their 
lives.  The  sky  is  bright  above  them,  the  sun  shines  serenely 
and  the  atmosphere  is  light  and  invigorating.  The  sun  continues 
his  course  and  illuminates  the  western  horizon  like  a  flame  of 
Are,  as  if  striving  to  give  them  a  temporary  glimpse  of  the  vast 
domain  between  them  and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  They  spread  their 
blankets  carefully  on  the  grass,  and  lift  the  American  flag  to 
wave  gracefully  in  the  breeze,  and  with  the  Bible  in  the  centre 
they  kneel,  and  with  prayer  and  praise  on  their  lips,  they  take 
possession  of  the  western  side  of  the  American  continent  in  His 
name  who  proclaimed  u  peace  on  earth  and  goodwill  toward 
men.”  How  strongly  it  evidences  their  faith  in  their  mission  and 
the  conquering  power  of  the  King  of  Peace.  What  a  soul- 
inspiring  scene.  Is  it  too  much  to  say  that  it  caused  a  thrill 
among  the  angelic  hosts  above  ?  A  scene  truly  inspiring  to  con¬ 
template,  and  worthy  a  place  on  the  canvas  among  the  master¬ 
pieces  of  the  world’s  great  artists.  It  was  an  act  the  far-reaching 
consequences  of  which  secured  to  the  United  States  government 
300,000  square  miles  of  the  Pacific  coast. 


15 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TAKING  THE  FIRST  WAGON  ACROSS  THE  ROCKY 

MOUNTAINS. 

“patient  endurance  attaineth  to  all  things.” 

To  attempt  to  take  women  across  the  Rocky  mountains  was 
considered  perilous  and  imprudent,  but  to  take  a  wagon  across 
was  pronounced  absolutely  impossible.  But  even  such  a  stupend¬ 
ous  undertaking,  a  task  inconceivably  difficult,  was  not  too  much 
for  the  indomitable  Whitman. 

The  officers  of  the  Hudson’s  Bay  Company  were  determined 
that  he  should  not  succeed,  or  even  make  the  attempt.  At  Fort 
Laramie  they  exhausted  their  persuasive  powers  in  their  endeavor 
to  prevent  him  from  taking  the  wagon  any  farther.  From  their 
standpoint  this  was  perfectly  reasonable.  They  knew  that  to 
demonstrate  the  possibility  of  taking  a  wagon  across  the  Rocky 
mountains  meant  the  settlement  of  Oregon,  for  it  was  practically 
making  a  highway  from  the  Missouri  to  the  Columbia.  It  sug¬ 
gested  the  end  of  the  supremacy  of  the  Hudson’s  Bay  Company 
in  the  Pacific  North-west.  But  Whitman’s  wagon  did  leave  Fort 
Laramie  despite  all  obstacles  and  oppositions,  and  was  taken 
across  the  Rocky  mountains.  After  travelling  over  mountain 
fastnesses  that  seemed  impassable,  in  the  way  of  compromise 
with  those  who  constantly  remonstrated,  he  converted  his  wagon 
into  a  two-wheeled  vehicle,  taking  the  other  two  wheels  with 
him.  In  such  a  cart,  amid  countless  difficulties,  did  the  two 
missionary  heroines  reach  Fort  Boise.  The  task  was  done,  and 
the  apparently  impossible  was  accomplished.  A  small  band  of 
missionaries  had  opened  a  highway  to  the  Pacific  coast. 


16 


We  can  hardly  conceive  the  possibility  of  accomplishing  a 
more  difficult  task,  and  one  more  far-reaching  and  salutary  in  its 
influences.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  another  act  which  has 
so  marked  American  history.  Though  the  wagon  was  not  taken 
farther  than  Fort  Boise  at  this  time,  it  was  soon  taken  to  Walla 
Walla. 

Dr.  Whitman  possessed  the  indomitable  will,  immovable 
determination  and  irrepressible  grit  that  made  no  obstacles  insur¬ 
mountable.  He  could  say  with  Napoleon,  and  put  it  to  better 
use  :  “There  shall  be  no  Alps.” 

"  Thou  in  our  wonder  and  astonishment , 

Hast  built  thyself  a  livelong  monument.” 

Mr.  W.  H.  Gray,  a  companion  of  Whitman  on  the  journey, 
says  in  his  “  History  of  Oregon  :  ” 

“  Whitman’s  perseverance  demonstrated  a  great  fact  the  practicability 
of  a  wagon  road  over  the  Rocky  mountains.  You  that  have  rolled  over  that 
vast  plains  and  slept  in  your  Concord  coaches  or  Pullman  palace  cars,  have 
never  once  imagined  the  toil  and  labor  of  that  old  off-hand  pioneer,  as  he 
mounted  his  horse  in  the  morning  and  rode  all  day  in  the  cold  and  heat  of 
the  mountains  and  plains,  to  prove  that  a  wagon  road  was  practicable  to  the 
waters  of  the  Columbia.” 

He  further  says : 

“From  Soda  Springs  to  Fort  Hall  his  labor  was  immense,  yet  he  over¬ 
came  every  difficulty  and  brought  it  safe  through.  I  have  thrice  travelled 
the  same  route,  and  confess  I  can  not  see  how  he  did  it,  notwithstanding  I 
was  with  him  and  know  he  brought  the  wagon  through.” 

“  Will  ever  the  edict  be  uttered ,  O  man, 

‘  Thus  far  and  no  farther,’  reach  if  you  can  ? 

Nay,  the  broader  the  grasp  of  the  intellect  fine, 

The  farther  recedes  the  horizon’s  fine.” 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ESTABLISHING  A  MISSION. 

SUPERSTITIONS  OF  THE  INDIANS.  FIRST  WHITE  CHILD  BORN. 

PROGRESS.  MISSIONARY  REENFORCEMENT. 

Dr.  Whitman  and  his  missionary  associates  reached  Fort 
Walla  Walla,  now  Wallula  Junction,  September  2,  1836.  They 
received  a  cordial  welcome  from  the  officials  of  the  Hudson’s 
Bay  Company.  A  mission  station  was  established  on  the  Walla 
Walla  river,  six  miles  west  of  the  present  city  of  Walla  Walla, 
under  the  charge  of  Dr.  Whitman.  It  was  called  Wai-i-lat-pu, 
the  place  of  rye  grass.  North  of  it  there  is  an  elevation  about 
200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  valley.  Looking  in  a  south¬ 
eastern  direction  we  are  impressed  with  the  scenic  beauty  of  the 
view.  The  land  is  almost  level  for  twenty  miles,  with  the  silvery 
affluent  of  the  Walla  Walla  river  winding  its  way  through  — 
fringed  on  each  side  with  strips  of  timber.  And  away  in  the 
distance  we  behold  the  towering  heights  of  the  Blue  mountains. 
The  missionaries  were  received  gladly  by  the  Cayuse  Indians. 
These  Indians,  with  the  Walla  Wallas,  who  occupied  the  region, 
although  in  some  respects  superior  Indians  were  exceedingly 
wild  and  superstitious.  They  believed  that  some  of  the  beasts 
and  reptiles  then  existing  had  once  been  men,  and  were  at  that 
time  able  to  convey  their  language  to  the  living.  Some  pro¬ 
fessed  to  have  received  wonderful  knowledge  through  birds  as 
to  future  honor  and  wealth.  At  the  same  time  they  were  quite 
susceptible  to  religious  impressions,  and  seemed  to  have  a  real 
desire  to  know  the  better  way.  There  was  a  great  amount  of 
preparatory  work  necessary.  Dr.  Whitman  and  wife,  and  W.  H. 
Gray,  went  to  work  with  a  will  and  vigor.  They  built  log  and 


18 


adobe  houses.  They  built  some  fences  also  and  prepared  gen¬ 
erally  for  the  winter,  in  addition  to  preaching  and  teaching. 
What  their  hands  found  to  do  they  did  with  their  might.  They 
were  encouraged  in  their  labors.  Dr.  Whitman  writes:  “  I  have 
abundance  of  evidence  of  the  restraining  power  of  religious 
truth  upon  the  minds  of  the  natives,  both  from  their  remarks 
and  my  own  observations.”  The  gospel  was  proving  itself  to 
be  the  power  of  God  to  those  that  believed.  A  father  said  to 
an  Indian  boy  who  lay  dying:  “You  are  dying,  do  you  know  it? 
He  replied,  I  am  not  dying,  I  shall  always  live.”  The  father 
inquired,  “Do  you  think,  and  what  do  you  think  about?”  The 
reply  was,  “I  think  about  Heaven.  I  love  God  more  than  any 
one  else.” 

March  4th,  1837,  a  daughter — Alice  Clarissa — was  born  to 
Dr.  Whitman  and  his  wife,  the  first  white  child  born  in  the 
Pacific  Northwest.  When  a  little  over  two  years  old  she  was 
drowned  in  the  Walla  Walla  river.  In  the  fall  of  1838,  they 
received  missionary  reenforceinents  in  the  persons  of  Revs. 
Cushing  Eells  and  Elkanah  Walker  and  their  wives.  The  first 
printing  press  came  from  the  Sandwich  Islands  in  1839,  the  first 
to  come  to  this  coast,  and  completing  the  civilizing  agencies. 
The  first  to  operate  on  the  printing  press  was  Rev.  H.  H.  Spald¬ 
ing  who  had  established  a  mission  among  the  Nez  Perces,  and 
the  first  book  was  printed  in  the  language  of  that  tribe. 

It  is  surprising  to  think  of  the  amount  of  work  done  the  first 
three  or  four  years.  In  the  book  entitled  “Travels  across  the 
Great  Western  Prairies,  the  Anahuac  and  Rocky  Mountains,”  by 
Thos.  J.  Furnham,  we  have  a  description  of  things  as  he  found 
them  at  the  Whitman  Mission,  the  latter  part  of  September,  1839. 
He  found  about  250  acres  enclosed,  200  of  which  was  under 
good  cultivation.  The  products  were  wheat,  Indian  corn, 
beans,  pumpkins,  Irish  potatoes,  beets,  carrots,  onions,  turnips, 
rutabagas,  water,  musk  and  nutmeg  melons,  squashes,  asparagus, 


19 


tomatoes,  cucumbers,  peas,  etc.  The  quality  was  good  and  the 
crop  abundant.  He  found  two  buildings  and  one  in  course  of 
construction,  and  a  small  grist-mill.  He  says:  ‘‘It  appeared  to 
me  quite  remarkable  that  the  Doctor  could  have  made  so  many 
improvements  since  the  year  1836 ;  but  the  industry  which 
crowded  every  hour  of  the  day,  his  untiring  energy  of  character 
and  the  very  efficient  aid  of  his  wife  in  relieving  him  in  a  great 
degree  from  the  labors  of  the  school,  are  perhaps  circumstances 
which  render  possibility  probable,  that  in  three  years  one  man, 
without  funds  for  such  purposes,  without  other  aid  for  that 
business  than  that  of  a  fellow-missionary  for  short  intervals, 
should  fence,  plow,  build,  plant  an  orchard,  and  do  all  the  other 
laborious  acts  of  opening  a  plantation  on  the  face  of  that  distant 
wilderness,  learn  an  Indian  language,  and  do  the  duties,  mean¬ 
while,  of  a  physician  to  the  associate  stations  on  the  Clearwater 
and  Spokane.”  He  found  forty  or  fifty  Indian  children  between 
the  ages  of  seven  and  eighteen  in  the  school  and  pronounces 
Mrs.  Whitman  an  indefatigable  instructor.  In  1842,  the  Indians 
were  cultivating  from  one-fourth  to  four  acres  of  land,  and  had 
seventy  head  of  cattle  and  some  a  few  sheep.  At  the  same  time 
the  missionaries  had  many  difficulties  to  contend  with.  They 
were  dealing  with  shrewd  and  savage  Indians  disposed  to  wander, 
seldom  remaining  more  than  three  months  in  the  same  place. 
The  best  disposed  were  becoming  tired  of  steady  work,  losing 
their  enthusiasm  for  improvement,  leaving  the  school  at  times 
very  small.  The  Jesuit  missionaries  came  into  the  country  and 
divided  the  religiously  disposed  Indians,  and  the  mill  was 
burned.  And  saddest  of  all  there  was  some  discord  existing 
among  the  Prostestant  missionaries  themselves.  At  the  same 
time,  amid  all  difficulties  and  discouragements,  the  work  was 
prosecuted  with  all  possible  vigor. 


20 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  BROAD-MINDED  AND  PATRIOTIC  SPIRIT 

OF  DR.  WHITMAN. 

the  Hudson’s  bay  company. 

THE  U.  S.  statesmen’s  ESTIMATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

Dr.  Whitman  was  a  large  hearted,  broad-minded,  progres¬ 
sive  and  practical  man.  The  world  in  which  he  lived  was  not 
narrow,  but  one,  the  horizon  of  which  was  ever  expanding.  His 
conception  of  his  mission,  was,  what  some  might  consider  extra¬ 
ordinary,  for  it  comprehended  all  that  pertained  to  man’s  wel¬ 
fare.  He  was  a  man  that  grasped  the  situation  in  all  its  bearings, 
and  a  man  of  prophetic  vision.  While  dilligently  engaged  in 
missionary  work  as  a  preacher,  teacher  and  physician,  he  at  the 
same  time  studied  the  soil  of  the  country,  its  nature,  the  best 
methods  to  make  it  produce,  its  geography,  relation  to  other 
countries,  and  its  resources,  and  seemed  to  fully  appreciate  its 
wonderful  possibilities.  These  things  greatly  impressed  him. 
They  presented  to  him  an  opportunity  that  implied  a  great 
responsibility.  With  his  extraordinary  far-sightedness  he  could 
not  be  indifferent  to  these  things.  The  thought  urged  itself  on 
him:— Here  is  a  grand,  fertile  and  rich  country  to  be  possessed 
by  some  people, — by  whom  \ 

His  attachment  and  loyalty  to  his  country  was  second  only 
to  his  love  and  devotion  to  his  Master,  Jesus  Christ.  He  felt 
that  to  have  such  a  vast  country  of  such  diverse  resources, 
capable  of  sustaining  a  great  population,  to  be  a  part  of  the  best 
government  under  the  heavens  was  worthy  of  prayerful  consid¬ 
eration,  in  view  of  its  bearing  upon  the  progress  of  Christ’s 
Kingdom  on  the  earth.  He  could  not  feel  that  it  was  his  mission 


21 


to  labor  for  a  few,  as  much  as  to  set  himself  to  the  task  of  saving 
the  whole  country  for  Christ.  Men  of  narrow  capacities  are 
prone  to  live  in  and  for  the  present,  or  the  immediate  future, 
while  those  of  larger  capacities  in  their  plans  and  undertakings 
comprehend  the  remote  future.  They  have  a  faith  that  enables 
them  to  sow  seeds  the  fruits  of  which  they  do  not  expect  to  reap. 
There  were  several  things  that  impressed  Dr.  Whitman  as  de¬ 
manding  attention  in  the  interest  of  Christ’s  Kingdom. 

I.  The  monopoly  of  the  Hudson's  (Bay  Company ,  and  the 
purpose  of  the  officials  to  keep  out  American  settlers  ft  om  Oregon. 
They  used  every  means  to  prevent  American  immigrants  on  their 
way  to  Oregon  from  reaching  their  destination,  and  to  turn  them 
in  the  direction  of  California.  They  exaggerated  the  difficulties 
and  dangers  of  the  trip.  They  made  all  but  Dr.  Whitman 
believe  that  to  take  a  wagon  across  to  the  Columbia  was  an  im¬ 
possibility.  They  represented  that  no  company  had  crossed  the 
Snake  and  Columbia  rivers  without  the  loss  of  lives.  Sure  death 
at  the  hands  of  savage  Indians  or  from  famine  was  predicted. 
Articles  in  magazines  and  papers,  and  books  of  travels  repre¬ 
sented  the  country  as  impassable.  This  company  by  various 
means  had  succeeded  in  making  the  American  people  generally 
to  believe  that  Oregon  was  useless  save  as  a  hunting  ground. 
Every  effort  was  made  to  secure  the  country  to  the  British  gov¬ 
ernment.  Plaus  were  in  operation  to  bring  into  the  country  a 
large  immigration  from  the  British  provinces.  Dr.  Whitman 
was  more  favorably  located  than  any  of  his  missionary  associates 
to  understand  the  plans  of  the  company,  and  he  fully  appreciated 
the  situation. 

II.  He  was  impressed  that  it  was  especially  important  that 
the  officials  at  Washington,  (D .  C.  should  be  informed  as  to  the 
value  of  the  country . 

III.  He  was  convinced  that  nothing  could  frustrate  the 
plans  of  the  Hudson’ s  (Bay  Company ,  and  secure  the  country  to 
the  United  States  but  a  large  immigration  of  American  settlers. 


22 


To  read  the  speeches  of  American  statesmen  at  Washington, 
D.  C.  containing  their  opinions  of  Oregon  and  the  whole  Pacific 
coast,  is  to-day  a  source  of  amusement.  One  said  that  he  would 
not  give  a  pinch  of  snuff  for  the  Territory  of  Oregon  and  thanked 
God  for  placing  the  Rocky  Mountains  between  the  rest  of  the 
United  States  and  it.  It  was  compared  with  the  Desert  of 
Sahara,  and  of  all  countries  on  the  face  of  the  earth  the  least 
favored  by  heaven,  the  mere  riddlings  of  creation.  The  distance 
and  character  of  the  intervening  country  was  declared  an  obstacle 
that  could  never  be  overcome.  A  railroad  to  the  Columbia 
could  never  be  thought  of.  The  mines  of  Mexico  and  Peru  dis¬ 
emboweled  were  pronounced  to  be  scarcely  able  to  pay  a  penny 
in  a  pound  of  the  cost.  The  extravagence  of  the  suggestion  was 
declared  as  surpassing  all  modern  vissionary  scheming.  Dr. 
Whitman  felt  that  the  deluded  statesmen  should  find  out  the 
truth.  He  had  been  imnressed  for  some  time  that  he  should  go 
to  Washington  for  the  purpose  of  imparting  to  them  accurate 
information  regarding  Oregon,  and  also,  do  all  he  could  to  induce 
a  large  American  immigration  to  follow  him  to  the  country  and 
thus  save  Oregon  to  the  United  States. 


23 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  DARING  AND  PERILOUS  JOURNEY. 

THE  PRIMARY  OBJECT. 

A  scene  witnessed  at  Fort  Walla  Walla  while  visiting  a 
patient  thoroughly  aroused  Dr.  Whitman.  The  officials  of  the 
Hudson’s  Bay  Company  were  rejoicing  in  view  of  the  news  which 
had  just  been  received  of  the  arrival  at  Fort  Colville,  300  miles 
up  the  Columbia  river  of  a  colony  from  British  Columbia.  An  en¬ 
thusiastic  young  priest  shouted  u Hurrah  for  Oregon,”  u America 
is  too  late.”  “We  have  got  the  country.”  Dr.  Whitman’s  pat¬ 
riotic  spirit  was  thoroughly  stirred.  It  had  become  perfectly 
clear  to  him  what  his  duty  was.  He  returned  home  fully  deter¬ 
mined  to  attempt  the  trip  to  Washington.  A  conference  of  the 
missionaries  was  called.  When  they  came  together  he  submitted 
to  them  his  plans,  stating  clearly  that  his  primary  object  was  to 
save  Oregon  to  the  United  States.  They  could  not  appreciate 
the  situation  and  the  national  exigency  as  he  did.  They  inti- 
mated  that  he  was  hardly  justified  in  taking  such  a  journey  for 
such  a  purpose  while  employed  by  a  missionary  society,  and  his 
emphatic  reply  was:  “I  am  not  expatriated  by  becoming  a  mis¬ 
sionary.”  So  relates  Rev.  Cushing  Eells,  D.  D.  the  only  sur¬ 
viving  member  of  the  conference.  Seeing  his  mind  so  unalter¬ 
ably  fixed  they  unanimously  approved  of  his  going.  The  weep¬ 
ing  wife  as  heroic  as  he,  was  willing  to  sacrifice  her  husband — if 
necessary — for  the  good  of  her  country.  He  was  soon  on  the 
saddle  and  ready  for  the  perilous  journey.  It  was  October  3d, 
1842,  and  A.  L.  Love  joy,  a  young  man  who  but  recently  had 
arrived  at  the  mission, —  and  an  Indian  guide — were  his  only 
companions.  Committing  themselves  and  being  committed  to 


24 


the  Divine  care  they  started.  The  summits  of  the  Blue  Moun¬ 
tains  in  the  distance  were  already  sprinkled  with  snow  indicating 
that  the  winter’s  cold  blasts  were  approaching.  They  moved 
rapidly  across  the  beautiful  Walla  Walla  valley.  After  about 
two  hours’  ride  they  were  watched  climbing  the  sloping  and 
fertile  fields  rising  toward  the  Blue  Mountains,  and  were  soon 
lost  in  the  distance.  On  they  pushed  their  way  from  hill  to  hill 
with  naught  to  guide  them  but  the  Indian’s  trail.  They  pitched 
their  tent  by  night  beside  some  flowing  stream  or  gurgling 
spring,  and  ere  they  laid  their  heads  to  rest  on  soddy  pillow, 
devoutly  did  they  commit  themselves  to  the  tender  care  of  Him 
who  watches  over  all  his  own.  They  pressed  their  way  through 
narrow  gorges  where  no  sound  was  heard  but  the  echo  of  their 
own  march.  They  hurried  on  through  storms  and  mountain 
barriers  so  that  in  eleven  days  they  had  left  behind  them  340 
miles,  and  were  at  Fort  Hall.  From  thence  they  took  a  south¬ 
erly  direction  hoping  thereby  to  escape  the  deep  snow.  Never¬ 
theless,  the  weather  soon  became  very  severe.  But  on  they 
moved  across  wide  and  dismal  deserts  which  threatened  death  at 
every  step,  through  forest  fastnesses  the  home  of  wild  and  fero¬ 
cious  beasts,  over  craggy  heights  where  one  misstep  would  surely 
result  in  death.  On  they  went,  though  the  storm  turned  the  day 
to  premature  night  and  compelled  them  to  seek  shelter  in  dark 
ravines.  On  through  streams  and  rivers  whose  boiling  torrents 
warned  them  back.  On,  though  innumerable  difficulties  had  to 
be  encountered.  On,  though  guide  after  guide  failed  them. 
On,  though  feet  and  hands  were  frozen.  There  is  no  alternative, 
— press  on  they  must  or  die.  At  one  time  on  account  of  storm 
and  snow  they  had  to  depend  entirely  on  the  instinct  of  the 
animal. 


25 


4 ‘On,  On,  and  on,  the  dumb  beast  pressed, 

Uncertain  and  without  a  guide, 

And  found  the  mountain’s  curves  of  rest, 

And  sheltered  ways  of  the  divide, 

His  feet  grew  firm,  he  found  the  way, 

With  storm-beat  limbs  and  frozen  breath, 

As  keen  his  instinct  to  obey 

As  was  his  master's  eye  of  faith. 

Through  sunless  days  and  starless  nights, 

Towards  Toas  and  far  Santa  Fee, 

O’er  table  lands  of  sleet  and  hail, 

Through  pine-roofed  gorges,  canyons  cold, 

Now  fording  stream  incased  in  mail 
Of  ice,  like  Alpine  knights  of  old, 

Still  on,  and  on,  forgetful  on, 

’Til  far  behind  lay  Walla  Walla, 

And  far  the  fields  of  Oregon.” 

Bent’s  Fork  was  reached  January  3d,  and  there  Lovejoy 
remained  to  join  the  doctor  on  his  return  journey.  Dr.  Whit¬ 
man  reached  St.  Louis  in  due  time  in  his  fur  garments  and  buck¬ 
skin  breeches,  and  bearing  many  marks  of  the  severity  of  the 
weather  which  he  had  endured.  In  haste  the  saddle  was  ex¬ 
changed  for  stage  and  he  was  soon  moving  for  Washington, 
reaching  there  March  3d,  1843.  By  newspaper  articles  and  a 
circular  he  did  all  he  could  to  create  an  interest  in'  Oregon  and 
to  induce  emigration  thereto,  offering  himself  as  a  guide  on 
his  return  journey. 


26 


CHAPTER  XI. 

WHITMAN’S  OBJECT  IN  GOING  TO  WASHINGTON. 

This  seems  to  be  the  place  to  present  concisely  the  evidences 
regarding  his  primary  object  in  making  the  trip  east,  and  to 
show  that  he  did  reach  Washington  and  had  a  hearing.  We 
have  the  testimony  of  eleven  of  his  contemporaries  who  were 
intimately  acquainted  with  him.  His  missionary  associates 
ought  to  be  considered  reliable  witnesses.  They  certainly  knew 
his  purpose  in  making  the  journey  and  their  veracity  should  be 
deemed  unquestionable.  These  missionaries  were  the  late  H.  H. 
Spalding,  Elkanah  Walker,  Hon.  W.  H.  Gray  and  Rev.  Cushing 
Eells,  D.  D.  who  is  still  living.  Their  unanimous  testimony  is 
that  he  went  to  Washington  to  save  Oregon  to  the  United  States. 
Their  testimony  is  corroborated  by  Dr.  William  Geiger,  who 
had  charge  of  Dr.  Whitman’s  station  while  he  was  absent  in  the 
east,  and  also  Hon.  A.  L.  Lovejoy,  who  was  Whitman’s  com¬ 
panion  on  the  journey;  by  Mr.  P.  B.  Whitman,  who  accom¬ 
panied  him  on  his  return  trip;  Hon.  Alanson  Hinman,  who 
taught  school  at  the  doctor’s  station  the  winter  following  his 
return;  Dr.  S.  J.  Parker,  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  son  of  the  Rev.  S. 
Parker,  the  first  missionary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  to  Oregon, 
and  the  late  Rev.  Wm.  Barrows,  D.  D.  who  saw  Dr.  Whitman 
at  St.  Louis  when  on  his  way  to  Washington.  More  satisfactory 
witnesses,  it  seems  to  me  could  hardly  be  conceived.  “It 
is  only  necessary  to  say  it  was  the  work  of  Whitman  in  that 
memorable  ride  to  save  Oregon  to  the  Republic.  He  asked  no 
money  from  the  government.  He  was  not  working  for  wages. 
He  only  asked  that  the  government  would  stand  firm  and  refuse 


27 


to  give  Oregon  to  England  until  he  had  time  to  lead  a  caravan 
of  Americans  across  the  mountains.” 

That  he  did  reach  Washington  there  can  be  no  doubt.  We 
have  the  testimony  of  several  reliable  witnesses  on  this  point. 
We  could  mention  Dr.  Geiger,  Mr.  P.  B.  Whitman,  A.  L. 
Love  joy,  Judge  Otis  of  Chicago,  who  met  him  at  Buffalo,  New 
York,  and  many  more.  But  the  evidence  is  now  indisputable. 
The  documents  recently  discovered  in  the  War  Department  at 
Washington  settle  the  question.  In  them  we  have  irrefutable 
proof  that  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  did  go  to  Washington  City  in 
the  winters  of  42-43,  and  held  a  conference  with  the  Secretary 
of  War,  and  exerted  influences  which  had  powerful  effect  in 
saving  Oregon  to  the  Union.  They  were  written  in  1843  after 
his  return  to  Wailaitpu  Station.  The  letter  begins  thus: — 

“In  compliance  with  the  request  you  did  me  the  honor  to 
make  last  winter  while  at  Washington.”  It  refers  to  the  im¬ 
mense  migration  of  families  to  Oregon  which  had  taken  place 
that  year,  which  he  had  piloted.  The  route  is  described  in  the 
bill.  The  bill  is  thus  described:  “A  bill  to  promote  safe  inter¬ 
course  with  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  to  suppress  violent  acts  of 
aggression  on  the  part  of  Indians  west  of  the  Indian  Territory.” 
The  purpose  of  the  bill  is  to  have  “established  at  suitable  dis¬ 
tances  and  in  convenient  and  proper  places,  to  be  selected  by  the 
President,  a  chain  of  agricultural  posts  or  farming  stations, 
extending  at  intervals  from  the  present  most  usual  crossing  of 
the  Kansas  river  to  the  Willamette  Valley,  Oregon.'1  The  object: 
“to  set  examples  of  civilized  industry  to  the  Indian  tribes,  keep 
them  in  proper  subjection  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States, 
suppress  violent  and  lawless  acts  along  the  said  frontier  line, 
facilitate  the  passage  of  troops  and  munitions  of  war  and  trans¬ 
portation  of  mail.” 

The  letter  and  bill  exhibit  the  statesmanlike  character  of 
the  author. 


28 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  WORK  ACCOMPLISHED. 

A  LARGE  IMMIGRATION  TO  OREGON  LED  BY  DR.  WHITMAN. 

Dr.  Whitman  did  what  he  could  while  in  the  east,  through 
the  newspapers  and  a  circular,  to  create  an  interest  in  Oregon 
and  to  induce  a  large  immigration  thereto.  His  visit  to  Boston 
was  brief,  and  he  was  ready  to  start  on  his  return  journey  April 
20th,  1843. 

We  find  the  emigrant  train  at  Independence,  Mo.  May  22d, 
1843,  ready  for  the  untried  journey.  There  are  two  hundred 
and  ninety-five  men  over  sixteen  years  old,  eight  hundred  and 
seventy-five  persons  in  all,  with  one  hundred  and  eleven  wagons, 
and  two  thousand  horses  and  cattle.  What  a  tremendous  under¬ 
taking,  attempting  to  take  one  hundred  and  eleven  wagons  over 
rough  and  rugged  mountains,  a  thing  declared  impossible  by 
those  who  professed  to  know  the  most  about  them. 

The  officials  of  the  Hudson’s  Bay  Company  spared  no  pains 
in  showing  that  there  was  no  secure  and  expeditious  way.  The 
rivers  could  not  be  forded  on  account  of  the  torrents  without 
loss  of  men. 

The  missionaries  of  1840,  who  had  brought  their  wagons  as 
far  as  the  mountains,  had  been  persuaded  to  exchange  them  for 
pack  animals.  So  also  Dr.  White’s  party  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  persons  in  1842.  But  Dr.  Whitman  could  declare 
with  confidence  that  wagons  could  be  taken  across  the  moun¬ 
tains,  for  in  1836,  he  had  taken  one  to  Boise,  and  Dr.  Robt. 
Newell  and  others  had  brought  three  to  Walla  Walla  in  1840. 
And  so,  Mr.  Jesse  Appleton  one  of  the  company  bears  witness 


that  uhis  great  experience  and  indomitable  energy  were  of  price¬ 
less  value  to  the  migrating  column.”  The  people  were  often 
discouraged  and  some  disposed  to  murmur,  and  even  Captain 
Grant  the  pilot,  was  at  one  time  ready  to  give  up  in  despair,  but 
Dr.  Whitman’s  determination  and  perseverance  and  constant 
encouragement  enabled  them  to  prevail. 

The  success  of  this  immigrant  train  in  crossing  the  Rocky 
Mountains  with  their  wagons  is  one  of  the  greatest  feats  recorded 
in  history.  The  writer  has  been  told  by  many  who  have  travelled 
overland  ten,  twenty,  and  thirty  years  afterwards,  that  no  one  can 
have  a  conception  of  the  difficulties  only  those  who  have  ex¬ 
perienced  them.  The  testimonies  as  to  the  value  of  Dr.  Whit¬ 
man’s  services  to  the  immigrants  are  abundant,  and  without  his 
council  and  leadership  it  is  hardly  possible  that  they  could  have 
crossed  the  mountains.  Hon.  El  wood  Evans,  says:  “  We  zeaU 
ously  unite  in  ascribing  to  that  visit  the  greatest  results  in  the 
future  of  Oregon ,  the  grandest  services  to  that  large  train,  the 
importance  that  flowed  from  his  successful  leading  of  that  large 
train  through  to  the  Columbia  with  their  wagons.  Those  results , 
those  conclusions,  are  glorious  to  Tr.  Whitman’ s  memory.” 
And  Mr.  Jesse  Appleton  says  :  “It  is  no  disparagement  to 
others  to  say  that  to  no  other  individual  are  the  emigrants  of 
1 843  so  much  indebted  for  the  successful  conclusion  of  their 
journey  as  to  (Dr.  Marcus  Whitman.” 

The  Walla  Walla  Valley  was  reached  the  latter  part  of 
September,  one  month  before  the  arrival  of  the  so-called  path¬ 
finder,  General  J.  C.  Fremont.  Thus  it  can  be  said  that  the 
humble  missionary  is  the  true  pathfinder  of  the  pacific 

NORTH-WEST. 

The  immigrants  led  by  Dr.  Whitman  outnumbered  all  the 
Hudson’s  Bay  Company  employees  and  the  Red  river  immigrants, 
and  their  coming  had  demonstrated  that  people  could  reach  the 
Columbia  and  bring  wagons  with  them.  Thus  it  has  been  truly 


30 


declared  to  be  the  “turning  point  in  the  history  of  Oregon.1' 
And  we  can  truly  say  that  to  the  humble  missionary,  we  are 
primarily  indebted  that  the  stars  and  stripes  float  over  the  coun¬ 
try  of  wonderful  and  diverse  resources,  and  destined  to  be  pop¬ 
ulated  by  millions  of  people,  known  as  the  “Pacific  North-west." 

The  Hon.  J.  B.  Allen,  U.  S.  Senator  from  Washington,  in 
an  address  at  Whitman  College  said — “To  the  missionary  pre¬ 
eminently  are  we  indebted  to-day,  that  the  stars  and  stripes  float 
over  W ashington,  and  that  it  is  under  the  allegiance  of  this 
Republic  and  not  Great  Britain,  and  while  according  the  full 
mead  of  praise  to  others,  and  especially  to  those  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  for  their  noble  and  patriotic  services,  under 
the  most  untoward  circumstances,  we  believe  that  to  Dr.  Marcus 
Whitman,  more  than  to  any  other  single  individual,  is  our  debt 
of  gratitude  the  greatest.  Fired  with  a  love  for  his  country 
only  excelled  by  that  to  his  God;  inspired  with  an  enthusiasm 
for  its  welfare,  only  surpassed  by  that  in  his  missionary  labors ; 
intelligently  informed  of  the  vast  and  varied  resources,  the  com¬ 
mercial  and  climatic  advantages,  and  the  natural  value  of  this,  to 
most  others  of  his  countrymen,  terra  incognita ;  foreseeing  with 
a  prophet’s  vision  its  mighty  future,  and  fearing  that  through 
ignorance,  indifference  or  deception,  it  was  about  to  be  bartered 
to  the  English  government ;  without  regard  to  personal  comfort 
or  safety,  and  with  winter  impending,  in  1842,  he  entered  upon 
the  task  of  crossing  the  continent,  in  which  he  succeeded  though 
encountering  obstacles,  hardships  and  dangers  in  every  form  ; 
performing  a  journey  4  of  most  disastrous  chances,  of  moving 
accidents,  of  hair-breadth  escapes.  ’  ” 

“But,  to  inspire  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  the  adminis¬ 
tration  with  some  approximate  idea  of  the  value  of  this  region, 
and  persuade  them  that  wagons  and  women  could  be  transported 
into  it,  was  a  harder  and  less  successful  task.  He  obtained 
reluctantly  however,  an  opportunity  of  refuting  the  impressions 


31 


made  through  British  agencies,  and  the  following  season,  after 
exhibitions  of  leadership,  perseverance,  and  skill,  worthy  of  a 
military  commander,  verified  his  representations  by  conducting 
through  to  the  Columbia  river  an  emigrant  train  consisting  of 
eight  hundred  and  seventy-five  men,  women  and  children,  and 
about  two  thousand  horses  and  cattle.” 

Thus  the  great  work  was  accomplished,  and  this  grand 
country  secured  to  the  United  States,  through  the  instrumen¬ 
tality  of  a  humble  missionary.  And  should  we  not  see  to  it  that 
his  memory  is  suitably  honored  % 


32 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MARTYRS  OF  THE  PACIFIC 

NORTHWEST. 

After  his  return  from  the  east  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  wife 
labored  among  the  Indians  with  characteristic  vigor. 

But  there  were  several  things  tending  to  counteract  their 
influence  and  to  alienate  the  Indians  from  them.  The  Roman 
Catholic  Jesuits  established  a  mission  quite  near  to  them,  and  a 
half-breed  Indian,  known  as  Joe  Lewis,  endeavored  to  persuade 
the  Indians  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  white  people  to  take 
their  lands.  The  killing  of  a  young  Walla  Walla  Chief  by  the 
Americans  in  California  had  helped  to  create  animosity  against 
them. 

The  officials  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  who  had  won¬ 
derful  influence  over  the  Indians,  were  doubtless  showing  favor 
to  the  Jesuits  because  they  were  counted  as  British  subjects. 
Dr.  Whitman  was  not  just  such  a  man  as  they  wanted  around. 
The  measles  also  prevailed  among  the  Indians  and  proved  fatal 
in  many  cases.  All  these  things  tended  to  make  the  Indians 
hostile  to  Dr.  Whitman  and  his  mission.  He  and  his  wife  had 
been  apprehensive  of  danger  for  some  time.  There  are  some 
reasons  for  believing  that  the  Doctor  had  seriously  thought  of 
abandoning  the  mission.  But  like  a  brave  and  loyal  man  he 
kept  to  his  post  hoping  and  praying  for  the  best. 

He  could  say:  We  see  not,  know  not;  all  our  way 

Is  night, — with  Thee  alone  is  day: 

From  out  the  torrents  troubled  drift, 

Above  the  storm,  our  prayers  we  lift. 

Thy  will  be  done. 


33 


On  the  22d  day  of  November,  in  the  year  1847,  one  of  the 
saddest  events  in  the  history  of  the  Pacific  Northwest  occurred, 
and  is  known  in  history  as  the 

WHITMAN  MASSACRE. 

Dr.  Whitman  and  his  most  noble  wife,  and  twelve  others 
that  belonged  to  the  mission  station  in  some  way,  were  mur¬ 
dered  by  the  savage  Cay  use  Indians,  and  forty-six  taken  as  cap¬ 
tives.  Having  attended  the  funeral  of  an  Indian  in  the  morning, 
the  Doctor  had  returned  home,  and  with  his  wife  was  attending 
their  three  sick  adopted  children.  Early  in  the  afternoon  an 
Indian  came  in  at  a  side  door  and  inquired  for  Dr.  Whitman. 
Following  this  the  war  chief  Ti-lau-kait  came  in  and  talked  with 
the  Doctor, — who  was  sitting  on  a  settee, — for  the  purpose  of 
attracting  his  attention,  while  another  Indian  by  the  name  of 
Tam-a-has,  came  in  stealthily  and  taking  his  tomahawk  from 
under  his  blanket  struck  the  Doctor  a  stunning  blow  on  the  head. 
Other  blows  followed  in  quick  succession,  which  left  him  pros¬ 
trate  and  unconscious.  The  fiendish  murderer  cried,  “I  have 
killed  my  father.  Now  the  signal  was  given,  probably  by  the 
demoniacal  half-breed  Joe  Lewis,  and  the  work  of  death  began 
amid  whoops  and  yells,  and  was  done  as  savages  only  can  do  it. 
Great  excitement  followed  !  When  Mrs.  Whitman  took  in  the 
situation  she  cried,  “Oh  the  Indians  !  The  Indians  !  That  Joe 
Lewis  has  done  it !  ”  The  other  women  shrieked  wildly  as  they 
heard  the  roar  of  musketry,  the  noise  of  furious  riding  and  war 
clubs,  and  could  see  no  way  of  escape.  Death  stared  them  in 
their  faces  in  all  its  hideousness.  Mrs.  Whitman  was  shot  in 
the  breast  by  a  young  Indian  for  whom  she  had  done  many  acts 
of  kindness.  She  prayed  for  her  adopted  children  and  for  her 
parents.  To  the  women  who  cried  “We  are  not  prepared  to  die, 
what  shall  we  do?  ” — while  in  the  agonies  of  death — she  replied, 
“Go  to  Jesus  and  ask  him  and  he  will  save  you.”  Her  last 


34 

words  were — as  near  as  can  be  found — “Jesus,  come  quickly.” 

One  Indian  who  was  a  favorite  at  the  mission,  deliberately 
chopped  the  face  of  the  Doctor  while  he  was  breathing  his  last. 
They  had  now  tasted  of  the  blood  and  their  savage  natures  were 
thoroughly  aroused.  They  enjoyed  doing  the  work  of  death. 

In  their  savage  rage  they  broke  down  windows  and  doors, 
and  rushed  into  the  house  and  from  room  to  room,  using  clubs, 
tomahawks  and  knives,  right  and  left — hacking  the  faces  of  their 
victims  in  a  terrible  manner.  Many  bullets  pierced  the  body  of 
Mrs.  Whitman  and  others.  The  dying  were  treated  with  indig¬ 
nity  until  the  shadows  of  the  night  drove  the  cruel  Indians  to 
their  lodges.  The  school  children  also  were  tormented  in  various 
ways.  Those  killed  on  this  day,  in  addition  to  Dr.  Whitman 
and  wife,  were  Messrs.  Rogers,  Hoffman,  Sanders,  Grillan,  Marsh, 
John  and  Francis  Sager.  Mr.  Kimball,  who  had  been  wounded, 
hid  himself,  but  as  he  was  going  to  quench  his  thirst  the  next 
day  he  was  shot  and  killed.  So  also  was  Mr.  Young  while  re¬ 
turning  with  his  team  from  the  mill  to  the  mission.  Helen  M. 
Meek  died  in  a  few  days  from  neglect. 

Two  sick  men,  Messrs.  Saler  and  Bewley  were  killed  after 
some  Indians  had  visited  the  Roman  Catholic  Bishop  at  Umatilla, 
making  in  all  fourteen  that  were  murdered  on  that  memorable 
day.  Some  made  their  escape  by  great  effort  and  suffering. 

Mr.  Canfield,  though  wounded  made  his  way  to  the  brush 
and  hid  therein  until  night,  and  then  fled  to  Spalding’s  mission 
at  Lapwai.  Mr.  Hall  also  found  a  hiding  place  in  the  brush  and 
reached  Fort  Walla  Walla  the  next  morning.  It  is  said  he  was 
refused  admission  and  conveyed  across  the  Columbia  river, — 
never  to  be  heard  of  afterwards.  Mr.  Osborne  raised  a  board  in 
the  floor  at  the  outset  of  the  massacre  and  hid  himself  and  family 
underneath  until  night.  When  the  Indians  had  retired  they 
started  for  Fort  Walla  Walla.  After  three  nights  travel  and 
three  days  hiding  amid  suffering, — especially  on  the  part  of  Mrs. 


35 


Osborne,  who  had  been  recently  confined — they  reached  the  fort 
and  were  saved.  The  rest  were  held  as  captives,  and  three  of 
the  young  women  were  dragged  by  Indian  chiefs  to  a  torture 
worse  than  death. 

This  is  the  unvarnished  story  of  the  massacre  of  the  first 
Christian  martyrs  of  the  Pacific  Northwest,  among  them  Marcus 
and  Narcissa  Whitman,  two  as  consecrated  missionaries  as 
ever  devoted  their  lives  to  carry  the  gospel  to  heathen  nations. 
Both  in  the  prime  of  life,  he  in  his  45th  year  and  she  in  her  39th 
year.  They  doubtless  died  martyrs  to  Republican  and  Pro¬ 
testant  principles.  They  died  at  their  post,  victims  of  the 
savage  rage  of  those  whom  they  desired  to  save  and  elevate. 

“  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this  that  he  give  his  life 
for  his  friend.”  We  mourn  their  early  deaths  when  we  think 
what  they  could  have  accomplished,  had  they  been  permitted  to 
live  to  good  old  age  to  prosecute  and  complete  their  work.  In 
the  midst  of  their  usefulness  they  were  cut  down,  but  the  work 
goes  on  though  the  workers  pass  away. 

His  ways  are  not  our  ways,  His  ways  are  past  finding  out. 
He  maketh  the  wrath  of  the  heathen  to  glorify  him. 

They  doubtless  accomplished  more  in  death  than  they  could 
by  living  many  years  longer,  for  sacrifice  is  the  primary  con¬ 
dition  of  life.  Through  their  instrumentality  influences  were 
put  in  operation  whose  potency  for  good  will  never  cease. 

u  Their  works  do  follow  them.” 

“All  things  fulfill  their  purpose,  low  or  high; 

There  is  no  failure  death  can  never  mar 
The  least  or  greatest  of  the  things  that  are; 

Until  our  work  is  done  we  cannot  die." 


36 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

AFTER  THE  MASSACRE. 

A  few  days  subsequent  to  the  awful  tragedy  according  to 
the  testimony  of  the  Jesuit  Priests,  the  bodies  of  the  dead  were 
sewed  in  sheets  and  buried  a  little  distance  from  the  scene.  But 
the  graves  were  made  so  shallow  that  the  bodies  were  exhumed 
by  the  prairie  wolves,  so  that  when  the  volunteers  reached  the 
spot  the  following  year  they  found  the  bones  scattered  abroad. 
They  dug  a  large  grave  and  deposited  what  remained  all  to' 
gether.  The  officials  of  the  Hudson’s  Bay  Company  secured  the 
release  of  the  captives.  Five  of  the  murderers  were  brought  to 
trial  in  May,  1850  and  were  hung  at  Oregon  City. 

As  time  advances  leaving  the  tragic  scene  behind,  the  work 

accomplished  by  Dr.  Whitman  in  life  and  death,  is  more  and 

more  appreciated  and  his  praises  are  scattered  far  and  wide. 

* 

We  regret  that  his  grave  is  not  adorned  by  an  imposing 
monument  and  we  hope  and  trust  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  it  will  be.  But  his  admirers  have  and  do  try  to  erect  a 
monument,  to  honor  his  memory  and  perpetuate  his  name,  more 
enduring  than  granite  or  iron. 

“The  finest  monuments  that  men  erect 
Have  little  value  wheresoe’er  they  rise, 

Unless  they  tell  of  some  good  action  wrought, 

Some  noble  work  that  time  cannot  disguise." 

All  the  early  missionaries  of  the  Pacific  Northwest  accom¬ 
plished  great  and  permanent  work,  and  their  names,  with  in¬ 
creased  honor  and  glory  will  be  transmitted  to  posterity,  for  they 
were  the  “Apostles  paving  the  way  for  American  occupancy.” 


I 


37 


But  it  is  no  disparagement  to  other  pioneer  missionaries  to 
say  that  the  name  of  the  martyr  Whitman  must  be  placed  above 
them  all.  Though  his  remains  lie  in  an  obscure  place,  unnoticed 
by  the  passer  by,  with  no  polished  granite  or  marble  to  mark  the 
spot,  his  name  will  never  die. 


He  will  always  be  remembered  for  what  he  has  done, 

A  noble  and  true  man  was  he,  born  to  make  an  impression 
upon  his  contemporaries  and  succeeding  generations.  A  true 
and  loyal  patriot.  A  zealous  and  practical  missionary.  A  mag¬ 
nanimous  Christian,  energetic,  heroic,  far-seeing,  self-sacrificing, 
of  whom  it  has  been  well  said:  ‘'No  danger  could  daunt  or  hard¬ 
ship  deter  from  performing  what  he  deemed  his  duty.1’  His 
name  is  embalmed  forever  in  the  history  of  the  Northwest.  It 
falls  to  the  lot  of  but  few  to  win  such  fame,  and  few  there  are 
who  so  well  deserve  it. 

Bancroft,  the  historian,  says: — “The  missionary,  Dr.  Whit¬ 
man,  was  no  ordinary  man.  I  do  not  know  which  to  admire 
most  in  him,  his  coolness  or  his  courage.  His  nerves  were  of 
steel,  his  patience  was  excelled  only  by  his  fearlessness;  in  the 
mighty  calm  of  his  nature  he  was  a  Caesar  for  Christ. 


The  solid  granite  erected  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the 
hero  of  many  battles,  will  crumble  into  dust  and  disappear 
before  the  four  winds  of  heaven;  the  name  of  the  inventor,  in¬ 
scribed  upon  iron  and  steel,  will  be  erased  by  the  teeth  of  time, — 
but  the  name  of  Marcus  Whitman,  who  died  a  martyr  to  grand 
principles,  will  live  forever  in  the  hearts  and  affections  of  man¬ 
kind. 

Hezekiah  Butterworth,  in  his  work  entitled — “The  Log 
School  House  on  the  Columbia,” — a  tale  of  the  Pioneers  of  the 
great  Northwest,  says: — “whether  the  mission  to  the  Cay  use 
and  Walla  Wallas,  which  Dr.  Whitman  established  on  the  bend 
of  the  Columbia,  was  then  regarded  as  a  home  or  foreign  field 
of  work,  we  can  not  say. 


38 


The  Doctor’s  solitary  ride  of  four  thousand  miles,  in  order 
to  save  the  great  Northwest  territory  to  the  United  States,  is 
one  of  the  most  poetic  and  dramatic  episodes  of  American  his¬ 
tory.  It  has  proved  to  be  worth  to  our  country  more  than  all 
the  money  that  has  been  given  to  missionary  enterprises. 

Should  the  Puget  Sound  cities  become  the  great  ports  of 
Asia,  and  the  ships  of  commerce  drift  from  Seattle  and  Tacoma 
over  the  Japan  current  to  the  Flowery  Isles  and  China  ;  should 
the  lumber,  coal,  minerals,  and  wheat  fields  of  Washington, 
Oregon,  Montana  and  Idaho,  at  last  compel  these  cities  to  rival 
New  York  and  Boston,  the  populous  empire  will  owe  to  the 
patriotic  missionary  zeal  of  Dr.  Whitman  a  debt  which  it  can 
only  pay  in  honor  and  love. 


And  does  not  an  institution  of  learning,  bearing  the  name 
of  such  a  man  deserve  the  patronage  and  support  of  all  the 
citizens  of  this  Pacific  Empire,  yea,  all  the  United  States?  For 
all  are  indebted  to  him.  Should  it  not  enlist  the  true  interest 
not  only  of  the  present,  but  also  of  future  generations. 


39 


CHAPTER  XV. 

WHITMAN’S  MONUMENT.  SEMINARY  and  COLLEGE. 

Immediately  following  the  cruel  tragedy,  which  made  a 
profound  impression  throughout  the  Pacific  Northwest,  the  set¬ 
tlers  in  the  Willamette  Valley  (there  were  none  east  of  the  Cas 
cade  mountains)  organized  into  a  military  force  and  marched 
into  the  Indian  country,  defeated  the  Indians  in  many  battles 
and  brought  the  murderers  to  trial  and  execution.  All  the  Pro¬ 
testant  missionaries,  located  in  the  Northeastern  part,  were  led 
out  of  the  country  under  military  protection.  Among  them 
were  Revs.  Cushing  Eells,  D.  D.  and  Elkanah  Walker,  who  had 
established  a  mission  in  1838,  among  the  Spokane  and  Colville 
Indians,  about  25  miles  northwest  of  the  present  city  of  Spo¬ 
kane.  The  locality  is  now  called  Walker’s  Prairie.  The  mis¬ 
sionaries  went  to  Forest  Grove,  Oregon,  and  there  labored  in 
connection  with  the  foundation  and  early  development  of  Tual¬ 
atin  Academy  and  Pacific  University. 

In  eleven  years,  the  Walla  Walla  and  the  whole  upper  Col¬ 
umbia  country  was  declared  open  to  settlement.  Very  soon  the 
Rev.  Cushing  Eells,  D.  I),  familiarly  known  all  over  the  country 
as  Father  Eells,  and  respected  by  all  classes  for  his  honesty  and 
sincerity,  mounted  his  horse  and  proceeded  toward  the  scene  of 
the  massacre.  In  due  time  he  reached  the  sacred  spot.  By  the 
side  of  the  “great  grave,”  as  he  calls  it,  where  lie  the  mortal 
remains  of  his  heroic  missionary  associates  and  others,  he  made 
a  solemn  vow  before  God,  that  he  would  endeavor  to  erect  an 
endurable  monument  to  the  martyred  Whitman. 


These  are  his  words  : 


40 


“As  financial  agent  for  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  I  went  to  Walla 
Walla  to  look  after  their  interests.  I  passed  over  the  ground 
that  had  received  the  blood  of  martyred  missionary  co-laborers. 
I  stood  beside  the  great  grave  that  contains  a  portion  of  the 
remains  of  those  massacred.  The  past,  the  then  present,  and 
the  probable  future  were  then  thought  of.  1  believe  that  the 
power  of  the  highest  came  upon  me.  Under  the  conviction  thus 
produced,  I  determined  then  and  there,  to  attempt  the  erection 
of  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  Dr.  Whitman  in  the  form  of 
a  school  of  high  Christian  character. 

With  apostolic  faith,  zeal,  and  perseverance  he  undertook 
and  continued  the  great  task. 

SACRIFICES. 

Dr.  Fells  testifies  that  the  deprivations  incident  to  early 
missionary  work  among  the  Indians  of  Spokane,  though  for  part 
of  three  years  the  family  were  prisoned  in  snow,  were  more 
easily  borne  than  those  connected  with  the  formative  period  of 
Whitman  College.  He  and  his  son  batched  in  a  log  shanty  with 
earth  for  floor  and  roof.  During  the  most  severe  winter  known 
in  the  Walla  Walla  valley  they  slept  in  a  freight  wagon  covered 
with  a  thick  canvass.  Ten  years  of  hard  labor  were  spent  in 
preaching,  teaching,  and  chopping  wood  by  the  men,  and  Mrs. 
Fells  gave  ten  years  of  arduous  toil  after  she  was  fifty-seven 
years  of  age,  making  butter,  raising  poultry,  etc.,  all  to  start 
Whitman  Seminary.  By  such  sacrifices  four  thousand  dollars 
were  accumulated  to  erect  the  first  building. 

Truly  the  institution  had  its  birth  in  prayer  and  was  bap¬ 
tized  with  tears.  Connected  with  its  history  are  sacrifices  worthy 
of  the  early  fathers  of  the  Christian  Church.  A  paper  read  by 
the  late  Rev.  P.  B.  Chamberlain,  organizer  of  the  Congrega¬ 
tional  Church  of  Walla  Walla,  and  the  first  Principal  of  the 
Seminary,  at  a  memorial  meeting  held  June  3d,  1888,  contain 


Rev.  CUSHING  EELLS,  D.  D. 

The  Founder  of  Whitman  Seminary  and  College. 

He  came  to  Oregon  under  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  in  1838, 

THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY  AMONG  THE  SPOKANE  AND  COLVILLE  INDIANS. 
WAS  AN  ACTIVE  MISSIONARY  FOR  OVER  50  YEARS. 

THE  OLDEST  PROTESTANT  MISSIONARY  ON  THE  PACIFIC  COAST. 

“Not  Slothful  in  Business,  Fervent  in  Spirit,  serving 

the  Lord.” 


41 


sucli  a  concise  and  comprehensive  history  of  the  institution  in  its 
incipiency  and  early  development,  that  we  have  deemed  it  proper 
to  insert  it  here  complete. 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  WHITMAN  SEMINARY. 

The  history  of  an  institution  is  often  very  analogous  to  the  history  of  a 
person.  It  comes  into  being  helplessly,  feeble  and  wholely  inexperienced, 
and  consequently  needing  the  vigilant  protection  and  the  devoted  care  of 
its  friends. 

In  its  first  spasmodic  efforts  it  but  awkwardly  creeps,  and  when  first 
placed  upon  its  feet  it  can  only  totter  and  tumble.  But  it  gradually  gains 
strength  by  exercise  and  learns  wisdom  by  repeated  falls. 

It  must  also  pass  through  the  critical  period  of  youthful  impulsive¬ 
ness  and  indiscretion,  possibly  inordinate  self-conceit,  and  only  after  years 
of  labor  and  loss  and  partial  success  does  it  arrive  at  maturity,  take  on 
resolute  strength  and  reliable  wisdom  and  stand  forth,  “rejoicing  as  a  strong 
man  to  run  a  race,”  ready  to  enter  the  list  of  life  and  join  the  army  of  the 
world’s  workers.  Such  especially  has  been  the  history  of  Whitman  Sem¬ 
inary  now  grown  into  Whitman  College. 

As  Minerva  the  goddess  of  wisdom  is  fabled  to  have  sprung  from  the 
brain  of  Jupiter,  so  this  institution  sprang  from  the  brain  of  its  founder, 
though  not  like  Minerva,  “full  grown  and  completely  armed.” 

After  the  sadly  tragical  death  of  Dr.  Whitman,  it  was  very  natural  that 
his  associates  in  toil  and  danger,  should  have  conceived  the  idea  of  erecting 
some  memorial  monument  to  his  memory.  It  was  also  quite  as  natural  that 
in  deciding  upon  the  character  of  such  a  monument,  what  would  be  appro¬ 
priate  as  a  memorial  of  the  man  and  his  mission,  the  final  if  not  the  first 
decision  should  be  that  of  an  institution  for  high  Christian  education. 

Such  a  project  took  positive  practical  shape  when  it  was  formally  char¬ 
tered  by  a  special  act  of  our  Territorial  Legislature  of  1859. 

Of  the  original  Board  of  Trustees,  nine  in  number,  two  were  residents 
of  this  valley,  two  at  or  near  the  Dalles,  one  at  Oregon  City — soon  afjeD 
wards  of  Portland, — two  at  Forest  Grove  and  one  as  far  up  the  Willamette 
valley  as  Brownsville,  while  the  general  field  Marshal  (the  founder  of  the 
institution)  was  often  passing  to  and  fro  along  the  whole  extended  line. 


42 


Surely  no  infant  ever  so  sprawled  in  his  most  awkward  attempts  at 
creeping. 

It  is  certainly  no  impeachment  of  your  intelligence  or  your  discernment, 
to  assume  that  very  few  of  you  can  conjecture  any  adequate  reasons,  for 
such  a  state  of  affairs  as  a  Board  of  Trustees,  whose  every  official  move 
must  be  decided  and  sanctioned  in  formal  meetings,  scattered  along  a  line 
of  three  or  four  hundred  miles  of  difficult  and  expensive  travel. 

But  there  were  reasons  real  and  adequate,  involving  interesting  items 
of  history  which  can  be  given  in  a  few  words.  As  all  practical  work  con¬ 
nected  with  the  institution  was  to  be  done  here,  it  was,  of  course  necessary 
that  some  of  the  Trustees  should  reside  here. 

But  at  that  early  day  among  all  the  residents  of  this  valley,  it  was  im¬ 
practicable  (though  this  should  perhaps  be  whispered  confidentially  rather 
than  spoken  out  loud)  to  find  nine  men,  or  even  a  quorum  of  five  qualified 
to  fill  such  an  office.  There  were  some  worthy  citizens  here,  but  they  were 
not  men  of  such  a  degree  of  education  and  settled  religious  convictions,  as 
rendered  them  competent  and  trustworthy  custodians  of  such  an  institution, 
especially  in  its  feeble  and  forming  period.  Most  of  the  Trustees  therefore 
had  to  be  selected  elsewhere  and  for  various  reasons  were  wisely  selected 
as  they  were. 

The  efforts  to  secure  a  meeting  of  even  a  quorum  of  a  board  thus  scat¬ 
tered  were  often  trying  if  not  ludicrous.  If  one  or  two  from  here  could  be 
induced  to  go  to  the  Dalles,  and  the  one  at  Portland  meet  them  there, — with 
those  residing  there,  a  quorum  could  be  secured.  If  some  from  the  Dalles 
and  some  from  Forest  Grove  could  be  convened  at  Portland,  again  a  quorum 
was  obtained.  Or,  as  a  last  resort,  one  starting  from  here  and  picking  up 
one  at  the  Dalles,  and  still  another  at  Portland,  and  proceeding  to  Forest 
Grove,  with  the  two  residing  there,  a  quorum  was  also  the  result.  The  first 
of  such  meetings  was  held  at  Forest  Grove  in  December,  i860,  at  which  the 
Board  was  formally  organized,  a  Constitution  and  By-Laws  adopted,  and  the 
Seminary  located. 

But  this  first  location  was  not  where  it  now  is,  but  upon  the  old  Mission 
claim  where  Dr.  Whitman  labored,  died,  and  lies  buried.  This  location  was 
selected  partly  that  the  memorial  might  stand  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
scene  of  the  event  to  be  commemorated,  partly  from  prudential  moral 
reasons,  still  more  perhaps,  from  the  fact  that  at  that  time  this  city  had  no 
assured  existence  such  as  it  has  since  obtained.  The  reason  for  changing 
the  location  was  the  rapid  growth  of  Walla  Walla  and  a  large  influx  of  pop¬ 
ulation  into  the  surrounding  country,  and  other  considerations  of  practical 


T3 


wisdom.  The  result  was  that  at  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees, — now  somewhat 
changed  in  persons,  held  here  in  Nov.  1864,  the  Seminary  was  re-located, 
“  at  or  near  the  City  of  Walla  Walla.”  Five  years  thus  passed  after  the 
scool  was  chartered  before  it  was  permanently  located — and  even  then  it 
was  “only  on  paper,”  if  not  “a  castle  in  the  air,” — for  as  yet  it  had  no  abid¬ 
ing  place,  no  settled  habitation.  Having  broadly  located  it  “at  or  near  the 
City  of  Walla  Walla,”  then  commenced  a  wearisome,  perplexing  struggle 
to  find  a  desirable  and  obtainable  site,  or  academical  grounds,  for  being 
only  beggars,  forced  to  secure  grounds  as  a  donation,  we  could  not  sum¬ 
marily  take  our  pick  according  to  our  real  preference.  Several  different 
locations  came  up  for  consideration  and  were  carefully  canvassed  by  the 
Trustees.  One  was  where  Judge  Lassater’s  residence  now  stands,  one  near 
where  the  Brick  Church  now  stands,  and  another  on  Second  street,  near 
what  is  now  the  wood  yard.  All  of  these  sites  were  then  vacant  and  desir¬ 
able,  but  in  each  case  there  were  found  to  be  peculiar  difficulties  involved. 
Some  conditions  weighed  against  the  first.  The  second  was  upon  A.  B. 
Roberts’  Homestead  Claim,  having  still  some  years  to  run,  and  hence  could 
not  at  the  time  be  deeded  to  the  Board  of  Trustees.  The  third  was  upon 
the  Showble  claim,  the  owner’s  wife  being  for  some  years  mentally  dis¬ 
qualified  to  affix  her  signature  to  any  legal  document. 

On  all  sides,  therefore,  circumstances  were  adverse,  and  after  almost 
unlimited  planning,  waiting,  working,  possibly  worrying,  all  of  these  sites 
were  abandoned  and  the  present  location  finally  decided  upon  and  formally 
accepted  in  May,  1866. 

Seven  years  were  thus  consumed  in  striking  the  first  stroke  of  Whitman 
Seminary.  Then  commenced  real  work  in  real  earnest,  raising  of  funds  by 
soliciting  subscriptions  and  the  erection  and  partial  completion  of  the  first 
school  building,  both  of  which  were  accomplished  in  a  few  months,  and  in¬ 
teresting  dedicatory  services  were  held  in  the  school  room  on  the  thirteenth 
of  October,  1866,  and  the  school  was  opened  immediately  afterwards. 

For  want  of  any  suitable  teachers  at  command,  I  was  invited  by  the 
Trustees,  to  take  the  oversight  of  the  school  for  a  while,  employing  assist¬ 
ants  to  do  most  of  the  work  of  instruction.  The  school  being  thus  fairly 
inaugurated,  at  the  close  of  the  second  term  I  resigned  my  position,  and  the 
founder  of  the  institution  became  also  its  Principal  for  several  succeeding 
years.  Of  his  labors  and  those  of  many  other  successive  teachers  through 
many  fitful,  changeable  years  it  is  not  my  province  now  to  speak,  save 
perhaps  to  add  that  at  two  or  three  subsequent  periods,  for  a  like  reason  of 


44 


no  available  teachers— for  many  years  our  chief  difficulty — I  carried  the 
school  on  as  best  I  could  for  brief  periods  of  one  or  two  terms,  once  perhaps 
a  full  school  year. 

And  thus  the  Seminary,  now  developed  into  the  College,  of  whose  pres¬ 
ent  character  and  work  you  have  all  had  favorable  opportunity — during  its 
late  interesting  commencement  exercises  to  judge  for  yourselves, — origin¬ 
ated,  grew,  improved,  increasing  in  strength  and  experience  and  in  influence, 
as  was  from  the  first  hoped  and  labored  and  prayed  for. 

Over  all  of  which,  all  lovers  of  sound  Christian  education  may  well 
rejoice,  and  they  who  bore  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day  of  its  early 
struggles  congratulate  themselves  that  they  “did  not  labor  in  vain  nor  spend 
their  strength  for  naught”  but  here  too,  possibly  “budded  better  than  they 
knew.” 


\ 


The  late  REV.  P.  B.  CHAMBERLAIN, 

First  Principal  of  Whitman  Seminary . 

Organizer  and  First  Pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church 

of  Walla  Walla,  Washington. 


a  noble  man,  an  eloquent  preacher  with  strong  convictions 

AND  COURAGE  TO  EXPRESS  THEM. 

HE  POSSESSED  A  GOOD  DEGREE  OF  THE  SPIRIT  OF 
THE  PROPHETS  AND  MARTYRS. 


With  Boldness  Declared  He  the  whole  Counsel  of  God. 


45 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Whitman  College— Retrospective  and  Prospective. 

Next  to  its  founder  and  those  intimately  connected  with  it  all 
through  its  history,  no  one  has  done  more  for  Whitman  College 
than  the  late  Rev.  G.  H.  Atkinson,  D.  D.  of  Portland,  Oregon. 
He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Sem¬ 
inary  in  December,  1 880,  and  it  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era 
for  the  institution.  Very  soon  plans  were  inaugurated  having 
in  view  the  development  of  it  into  a  College.  In  the  fall  of 
1882  the  Academic  department  opened  with  Dr.  A.  J.  Anderson 
as  principal,  his  wife  and  sons  assisting  him  as  teachers.  During 
the  year  a  freshman  class  was  secured,  which  met  the  necessary 
conditions  in  order  to  be  placed  on  the  list  of  the  American 
College  and  Educational  Society11  to  receive  aid.  In  1883  the 
charter  was  changed  giving  it  all  the  privileges  of  American 
Colleges.  In  the  same  year  the  College  Hall  was  erected  at  a  cost 
of  $16,000,  and  through  the  instrumentality  of  Dr.  Anderson, 
two  acres  of  land  were  added  to  the  campus  by  the  late  Dr.  D.  S. 
Baker.  During  this  year  and  a  part  of  1884,  Rev.  Cushing 
Eells,  D.  D.  visited  New  England  in  behalf  of  the  College  and 
obtained  $11,000  for  it.  Notwithstanding  his  career  has  been 
one  abundant  in  labor  and  full  of  sacrifices,  he  declares  it  to  be 
the  hardest  year  of  his  life.  In  1884,  also,  Mrs.  N.  F.  Cobleigh 
canvassed  a  part  of  New  England  and  obtained  $8,000,  where¬ 
with  to  transform  the  old  Seminary  building  into  a  commodious 
Ladies’  Hall.  With  improvements  subsequently  made  through 
her  instrumentality,  it  is  now  one  of  the  most  convenient  for 
the  purpose  intended  in  the  State.  A  small  Science  Hall  has 
been  erected  since.  All  these  substantial  evidences  of  progress, 


46 


with  considerable  addition  in  the  number  of  students,  we  find 
during  the  early  years  of  Dr.  Anderson’s  administration.  As 
compared  with  like  Institutions  under  similar  circumstances  its 
growth  on  the  whole  has  been  wholesome.  It  is  the  only  college 
in  the  upper  Columbia  Empire  that  has  survived  the  various 
changes  incident  to  a  new  country,  although  many  attempts  to 
establish  colleges  have  been  made  by  various  denominations. 
The  college  has  been  an  inestimable  blessing  to  the  region  of 
which  it  is  a  centre.  But  with  superior  equipment  it  would 
have  accomplished  better  work.  It  is  in  urgent  need  of  means 
wherewith  to  keep  pace  with  the  material  progress  of  the  country 
and  adjust  itself  to  the  new  order  of  things  in  this  great  state. 
A  country  rich  in  resources  deserves  and  demands  a  college 
adequately  equipped. 

After  nine  years  of  hard  work.  Dr.  Anderson  resigned  in 
July,  1891,  and  the  following  November,  Rev.  James  F.  Eaton 
assumed  the  presidency.  Since  then  a  great  effort  has  been  and 
is  being  made  to  strengthen  and  broaden  the  foundations.  The 
standard  of  scholarship  has  been  raised  and  new  methods  adopted. 

The  institution  has  been  to  a  great  extent  reorganized,  and 
it  is  the  aim  and  purpose  to  develop  it  into  an  ideal  American 
College  as  rapidly  as  resources  will  permit.  Whitman  College 
is  admirably  located  in  the  “Garden  City”  of  the  Inland  Em¬ 
pire.  It  has  an  immense  field.  There  is  no  educational  institu¬ 
tion  having  a  complete  college  curriculum  between  it  and  the 
North  Pole ;  not  one  within  500  miles  south;  not  one  east  of  the 
Cascade  mountains  and  but  one  within  1500  miles  east.  It  draws 
students  a  distance  of  300  miles  in  all  directions.  Many  of  the 
most  successful  business  and  professional  men  and  women  of  this 
region  point  to  it  with  pride  as  their  alma  mater.  Some  of  its 
graduates  have  taken  a  high  stand  in  eastern  post-graduate  and 
professional  schools,  and  some  are  already  giving  indications 
that  they  will  become  leaders  of  men.  Several  have  and  are 
preparing  for  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry. 


47 


The  leading  Walla  Walla  paper  says  of  it — 

k*It  is  our  pride.  It  is  the  cap  sheaf  of  the  educational 
institutions  of  Walla  Walla,  and  should  be  the  pride  and  boast 
of  every  good  Walla  Wallan.  It  has  a  corps  of  exceptionally 
good  instructors  under  the  guidance  of  a  man  possessing  breadth 
of  intellect,  liberal  education  and  an  enthusiastic  desire  to  be 
successful  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor,  with  students  who  rank 
in  natural  ability  with  the  best  product  of  any  land.  But  it  is 
deficient  in  facilities.  It  lacks  room  in  which  to  grow.  It  lacks 
library  and  apparatus,  the  tools  of  education.” — Union-Journal. 

But  we  are  hopeful.  We  rely  on  Him  whose  is  the  earth 
and  the  fullness  thereof,  and  who  rules  in  the  hearts  of  men. 
With  his  blessings  we  shall  overcome  all  difficulties. 

We  rejoice  that  we  are  able  to  say  that  a  new  and  enlarged 
campus  for  the  College  department  is  in  sight  in  a  most  desirable 
and  accessible  suburb  of  the  city,  which  we  hope  to  see  adorned 
with  suitable  buildings  in  the  near  future. 

Surely  an  institution  founded  by  the  most  apostolic  char¬ 
acter,  and  in  memory  of  the  most  famous  person  in  the  Pacific 
Northwest,  to  whom  we  are  more  indebted  than  to  any  other, 
will  be  near  the  hearts  of  all  good  people. 

We  shall  use  the  words  of  the  president  in  the  last  bulletin : 

“That  it  may  speedily  receive  from  those  to  whom  a  gracious  Provi¬ 
dence  has  given  abundance,  increased  facilities  for  securing  and  keeping  a 
faculty,  and  for  the  care  of  worthy  students,  and  for  the  pursuit  of  re¬ 
searches  after  truth,  is  our  earnest  prayer.  Only  thus  can  our  fair  State  be 
preserved  from  the  blight  of  mere  money  getting  with  no  worthy  objects  as 
to  its  expenditure,  and  from  moral  and  mental  darkness.  We  have  no  way 
of  forecasting  the  future  save  of  the  past.  That  teaches  us  that  the  finest 
and  most  fertile  land  may  become  a  desert  for  the  wickedness  of  the  inhab¬ 
itants  thereof.  It  is  enlightened,  moral  citizens  that  make  a  country 
habitable  and  life  worth  living.  They  are  the  foundation  stone  of  free 
America.  In  the  production  of  these  no  agency  has  been  more  potent  than 


48 


the  Christian  College.  The  continuance  and  enlargement  of  the  same 
agency  which  originally  produced  the  American  type  of  Christian  civiliza¬ 
tion  are  needful  for  its  continuance.” 

We  commend  to  those  who  have  been  blessed  with  worldly 
riches  the  words  of  the  great  philanthropist  George  W.  Childs 
of  Philadelphia,  in  the  Ladies ’  Home  Journal : — 

c  ‘  I  sometimes  feel  that  the  only  money  I  have  is  that  which 
I  have  given  away.  The  rest  is  just  waiting.  The  money  that 
I  have  spent  upon  other  people  has  been  that  which  I  have  most 
enjoyed.” 


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